Page 2

1

JASON

I ignored the ringing of my phone for the fifth time, ending the call so I could concentrate on the road. I was tired as hell and I probably should have gotten some sleep before making the trek up to Minnesota, but I’d waited long enough. Five years was a long fucking time to resist a woman, and I was done telling myself I didn’t want Tahlia’s friend, Leah.

My phone rang again and I sighed, this time answering it, knowing he wouldn’t stop until I picked up. “What do you want?”

“Tahlia wants to know how long you’re staying in Minnesota,” Johnny rumbled, not sounding very thrilled that he was stuck in the middle of this conversation.

“Who said I was going to Minnesota?”

“You’ve been too fucking distracted for days. I saw you checking flights earlier, and when you couldn’t get a direct flight, you tossed a chair across the room.”

Fuck, I was really losing it if I didn’t see him there.

“It’s about fucking time you got your head out of your ass,” he grumbled.

“I never fucking said I was going to her.”

“Just don’t take too fucking long. Tahlia hasn’t seen her in years. She’s fucking pissed I haven’t let her go to Minnesota on her own.”

“Sounds like a you problem.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t have this problem if you had gotten off your ass and taken care of shit.”

When Tahlia was in trouble and we went on the run with Johnny, watching his ass and keeping his woman safe, Leah was nothing more than a complication. That’s what I kept telling myself. Then I made the mistake of allowing her to walk into my room. The moment she pulled her shirt over her head, every single thought in my head disappeared. I knew I was fucked, but I resisted her to the point of pain.

But I couldn’t fool Jack and Johnny. They knew I held a torch for her. They saw the way I treated women, how they were nothing more than a distraction from the one woman I really wanted. Thankfully, they didn’t say jack shit about it.

“Just get your ass back here as fast as possible. If I have to hear one more fucking time about how long it took you to get her, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“You could just tell her to mind her own business,” I argued.

“Yeah, tell me how that works with Leah.”

He hung up, his orders fucking clear. I wasn’t allowed to come home without Leah or he’d string me up by the balls for making his woman mad. Message received. He was lucky I liked Tahlia so much.

A half-hour later, I pulled down her driveway and killed the lights after I parked. I sat there for a minute, my eyes roaming over the property. Something felt off, like there was a silence that shouldn’t be here. I shoved the door open and stepped out, letting the door softly close behind me as I pulled my weapon. Silence wrapped around me, sending chills down my spine.

I took off for the house, racing up the steps to get to Leah. Butting up against the house, I reached for the door, my gaze narrowing on the broken frame. Slowly, I reached forward and turned the knob, my heart hammering in my chest.

The moment I stepped inside and my boot hit the floor, my stomach bottomed out. The smell of blood in the air nearly made me gag, but I held it in as I scanned the room for any sign of intruders. With each step through the house, the stench grew more pungent. With my heart in my throat, I already knew what I would find, but I prayed it wasn’t her. She knew how to use a gun. Maybe she shot an intruder and ran. If anything happened to her and I wasn’t here to protect her, I would never forgive myself.

The floor creaked as I crossed the living room into the kitchen. My gaze swung through the dark room until it landed on an image that nearly made me vomit. Leah sat limply in the chair, her face nearly unrecognizable from the bruises and blood dripping from cuts. Her once beautiful hair was now stringing and coated in her own blood. And her body…

I choked on emotion welling inside. I was too late. If I had come sooner. If I had…Why the fuck had I waited so long to come for her? I closed my eyes as I breathed through the stench. Fuck, I couldn’t believe this.

Putting one foot in front of the other, I walked forward until I was in front of her. Her skin was pale with no signs of life, but I still had to be sure. With a shaky hand, I pressed my fingers to her throat, checking for a pulse. As my eyes slipped closed, I prayed, searching for even a faint flutter that would tell me there was still hope. But as the minutes ticked by, it was clear that she was gone.

I was too late.

Dropping down to my haunches, I slid my hand down her arm until I interlocked my fingers with hers, remembering our nights together—how I had pushed her away, refusing to admit that I wanted her. And the whole time, she just shrugged it off.

That was Leah, refusing to admit that anyone could hurt her. After all the shit she’d put up with in her life, the way I treated her was hardly a blip on her radar. But she didn’t deserve it. Her father had abused her, smacking the shit out of her and killing her mother in a fit of rage. And she survived it all, even killing her father to end it all.

What did she get for it? Prison. I brushed my fingers along her jaw, swiping my thumb along those beautiful lips. All she did was protect herself from a man who would have killed her. And what did she get for it? A system that treated her as a killer instead of a survivor.

The joke was on them. She was the strongest woman I’d ever met.

But you pushed her away.

Rage surged inside me, pushing aside the sadness. Who would do this to such a beautiful woman? Who would take a life so precious and break it? This wasn’t just a home invasion. She was strapped to a chair and tortured. But what for what? She was a nobody.

But you didn’t keep tabs on her. You have no idea what her life has been like since you left.

This was all my fault. I could have saved her. If only I had watched out for her. If only I had refused to live my life along the path Rafe laid out for us. I might have changed my mind sooner.

Something shifted in the air and the silence suddenly became clouded with something else, something dangerous. I stiffened, ready to pull my gun, when I heard his voice.

“Stop digging.”

I didn’t turn but glanced over my shoulder, spotting Cash in the corner of the kitchen leaning against the counter. “Into what?”

“You know what. She’s dead because of it.”

His voice was cold and hard, nothing like the man I met for the first time when he was on the run with Eva. If anything, he was more like his brother than I ever thought possible. I slowly stood and turned to face him. Dressed all in black, he was the spitting image of Rafe. For just a moment, I had a flashback to when Rafe stood before me for the first time, warning me that this job was dangerous and would most likely kill anyone I loved.

At the time, I hadn’t thought anything of it. I didn’t have loved ones, so that wasn’t a problem. And since I walked away from Leah, I assumed she was safe. Apparently, I was wrong.

“Why?” I asked. I didn’t need to explain what I was talking about. He already knew.

“Because she’s connected to you. To OPS. It’s a message.”

“To who? Fuck, Cash?—”

He shoved away from the counter and stormed toward me, his eyes black as night as he glowered at me. “He fucking told you not to make friends. If you planned on keeping her safe, you should have kept her at OPS. It’s too late for that now.”

“Who did this?” I snapped, ready to take my revenge.

“It doesn’t fucking matter.”

I lunged for him, not interested in whatever game he was playing. “It fucking matters to me!” I shouted, slamming him up against the fridge. “You really expect me to walk away?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I expect you to do. Walk away, Jason. This isn’t a fight you can win.”

“Is that what you told everyone at OPS when you ran off? Is that what you told your wife?”

He slammed his boot into my leg, but I partially blocked him, leaving myself open for the hit to the kidneys that followed. I gritted my teeth as he slammed his fist into me a few more times before getting in a cheap shot to the jaw.

“Does that feel good?” I hissed. “Do you feel better hitting your own guys?”

He scoffed, shaking his head at me. “You’re not my guy anymore. We’re nothing.”

“Then why the fuck are you here?” I shouted. “If I’m nothing to you, then why did you come after her?”

“Because she’s innocent!” he yelled. “Fucking innocent just like everyone else.”

“Cash,” a low voice behind me hissed.

I spun around, surprised when I saw another man step out of the shadows. Knight. But it wasn’t him that surprised me. It was what he was holding.

Or rather, who.

I stared into the eyes of the little girl on his hip and my breath caught in my chest. She had my complexion and the same fucking black hair. Thick eyebrows and long lashes framed her eyes. There was no denying she was mine. But her eyes…

Fuck, it killed me to look at her eyes—bright blue and so like Leah’s.

Tears welled in my eyes as I studied the little girl in his arms. She looked to be about four years old…maybe a little older. Including a pregnancy, the timing matched. There was no mistaking who this little girl belonged to.

My eyes drifted back to Leah, tied to the fucking chair and mutilated. “Where was she?” I asked, my voice cracking as I looked back at Knight.

“Locked in the basement in a room. It looks like Leah stashed her there when she heard her attackers coming. We found shotgun shells all around the house. She put up a good fight.”

But it wasn’t enough. She fought until the end to protect her child—our child—and where the fuck was I? Better yet? Why didn’t she tell me I had a kid?

Because you didn’t want her, asshole.

I’d told her there would never be more between us. Hell, I’d practically screamed it in her face. I did everything I could to push her away, knowing it would never be safe to be with me.

“Jason,” Knight snapped, getting my attention. “You need to get together any shit you need and haul ass back to OPS.”

Because I had a daughter—one who was relying on me, who would count on me to be her sole caregiver now that the only parent she’d ever known was dead. I didn’t know a damn thing about being a dad or taking care of a little girl. Hell, having kids was never even on my radar. But I’d be damned if my baby girl wasn’t going to have the very best now that I knew about her.

I strode forward and gently plucked the little girl out of his arms, resting her against my chest. Careful not to let her see any of the gruesome sight behind me, I brushed my thumb against her tiny cheek and stared into her gorgeous eyes.

“I’m your daddy.”

She didn’t say anything, but her slow blink said it all. She was tired and confused. She wanted her mother. Her life was about to be ripped to shreds and there was nothing I could do to make that better for her except to love her. And I would damn well make sure that she had everything I could give her—everything Leah would want for her. I would make sure this little girl had everything in a father that Leah never had.

“I’ve already packed a bag for her,” Knight said, but you might want to go through her toys and dolls. Maybe grab some things of Leah’s for her to have when she’s older. We’ll take care of?—“

I cut him off with a glare. The last thing this little girl needed to hear was anything about her mother’s body. Everything in me wanted to go to Leah, to give her a proper burial and grieve for her, but the little girl in my arms made that impossible. I had to get her to safety. She was my number one priority.

Besides, this was what Leah would want. I had no doubt in my mind.

Without another word to Knight or Cash, I headed upstairs, trying desperately not to let my mind wander to the last time I was here. Though we’d only stayed a night, it was something that was burned in my memory. As soon as I hit the top step, I followed the hall to the second to last door. I doubted Leah would put her any farther away from her than that. And when I opened the door, I was proven right.

The princess bed accentuated the pink walls, and a sparkling tent, covered in a giant sheen of fabric filled with pillows and blankets, fell from the ceiling. I didn’t even know where to begin packing up her things. I needed to leave, but this was her home. How could I leave her things behind?

Lowering her to the floor, I held her by the waist so she would face me. “Sweetheart, we have to go to a new home. What do you want to take with you?”

“Momma,” she whispered.

“I know, baby girl.” I brushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. God, she was so fucking beautiful. “Do you have any stuffed animals you want to bring?”

She nodded, then hurried over to her bed, snatching a few of them in her tiny arms. When she came back to me, she dropped them on the floor and rushed back for more. I could see there wasn’t a lot she was willing to leave behind, so I walked over to her closet and searched for a bag big enough to fit everything she wanted. When I didn’t find anything, I went into Leah’s room and flicked on the light in her closet.

Her scent immediately washed over me and I had to grip the frame of the door to keep from crumbling into a mess on the floor. Closing my eyes, I reminded myself of what I had to do. When I opened my eyes, I found a bag at the back of the closet and was about to leave when I saw a fireproof box on the shelf. It most likely had all the documents I would need.

When I had everything, I headed back to my little girl’s room. She had acquired quite a pile, along with blankets as well. She looked up at me like she was unsure if I would allow her to bring all this. I got down on my knees and started stuffing it all into the bag. I didn’t care if I had to carry the damn things out to the car. I wouldn’t leave a single thing behind that she wanted.

When I was done, I went back to Leah’s room for another bag, this time avoiding any sentimental thoughts, and headed back to grab any more clothes that were left behind, along with all the books that Leah had by the bed. Those must be her favorites.

Boots on the stairs reminded me that time was of the essence. I had to get moving. When Knight appeared at the top, he took one look at my daughter and then the bags at my feet, then grabbed them and hauled them downstairs.

“Should we go see your momma’s room?” I asked, holding my hand out for her to take.

She instantly put her hand in mine, and my heart swelled in my chest. I had no fucking idea it would feel like this to have someone so small depending on me, but here I was, about to fucking cry my eyes out because she put her hand in mine.

“Is there anything you want?”

She looked around the room, her hand slipping from mine as she hurried over to a chair by the window. She grabbed a shawl and pulled on it, dragging it across the floor. I spotted a jewelry box on the dresser and grabbed the whole thing. There might be more stuff, but this was all I had time for. We could never come back here. Whatever happened, it had to be left in the past. That was the only way to keep my little girl safe.

I took her hand in mine and walked out of the house.

* * *

I shut the trunk just as Cash came around back. His eyes lingered on my little girl for a few seconds before he finally turned to me and spoke.

“Tell Eva not to let anyone else get involved in this shit.”

“She’s not running things at OPS.”

His eyes narrowed slightly as he shifted his weight. “Then who the fuck is running things?”

“Lock. Eva appointed him to lead so she could focus on other things.”

“Like what?”

“Saving your ass,” I said pointedly. “Getting Knight and taking care of Isabelle. Taking care of your kids. Is that not enough?”

He glanced away, his shoulders tense and his whole body filled with rage. It was as if nothing had changed in the time he’d been gone. The bags under his eyes had grown darker and the rough edge he always had to him had now turned to steel.

“Anything you want me to tell her?”

He shook his head. “Don’t even mention you saw me.”

“You don’t think she’d want to know that you’re safe?” I hissed.

“She sent Knight. She knows I’m fine.”

“There’s a difference between believing and knowing,” I pointed out. “She believes you’re safe with Knight. What the fuck are you doing, anyway?”

I could see the burning need to tell me. There was something going on that he really wanted to fill me in on, but with a flick of his eyes over my shoulder, that all went away. I would bet a million dollars that if I looked over my shoulder, Shadow would be waiting somewhere around the house.

He wasn’t going to give me jack shit, not until he had whatever he needed to move on.

“You should get going. You have a little girl to take care of now.”

“So do you.”

He shook his head, kicking at the ground just once before glancing back up at me.

“Give me something,” I urged. “Fucking anything. Tell me something I can take back and give the guys so they know this isn’t all for nothing.”

“This is about me. None of you,” he growled. “I will not stop until they’re all fucking dead.”

“Who?” When he didn’t say anything, I lost it. “Did you know they shot Kavanaugh?”

His eyes snapped up to meet mine. A sort of crazed look came over his face, filling him with a rage on a whole new level.

“Yeah, while you were gone fighting everyone else, you left us here. The senator is dead, and when they killed him, they went after Kavanaugh. He was shot in the neck.”

“Did he live?”

“Now you’re concerned about —”

“Did he fucking live!” he shouted, getting in my face.

I didn’t back down—never would for anyone, not even Cash. There were some things I just couldn’t take, and the way Cash was shutting everyone out was going beyond what anyone should give. I’d learned that the hard way, and that lesson was just repeated as I walked into the house and found Leah dead.

“If you want to know, find out yourself.”

I shoved past him and got into the front seat, glancing in the rearview mirror at my baby girl. She was already asleep in the car seat Knight had installed. I prayed she’d get enough sleep on the drive and wouldn’t be haunted by whatever she might have seen or heard over the last few days.

I didn’t even know her name. I glanced over at the lockbox in the seat beside me and then at the jewelry box. With any luck, the key would be somewhere in there. If not, I’d have to crack it open when we got home. But now wasn’t the time to take a peek at that.

Putting the car in drive, I headed down the driveway, leaving everything behind. I shoved down all the memories and feelings for Leah. That would all have to be examined at another time when I didn’t have a four-year-old to take care of.

My phone lit up with a call. Fuck, it was Johnny—no doubt wondering if I was on my way back with Leah. I hadn’t even thought about how I was going to break it to Tahlia that her friend was dead. Maybe this was for the best.

“Johnny,” I answered, my voice low so I didn’t wake up my girl.

“Please tell me you’re on your way back.”

My gaze flicked to the rearview mirror again. “I am.”

“And you have her?”

“No.”

I bit back the anger and regret, forcing myself to stay calm. If I lost it now, all that would do is scare the shit out of my girl.

“Jason, what the fuck is wrong with you? You had one job to do and you?—”

“She’s dead,” I cut him off.

Dead air filled the line for a solid minute before he spoke. “How?”

“Murdered. I walked in and…I missed her by at least six hours.” It took everything in me to keep my voice level as I spoke. “It was a message.”

“For who?”

“OPS. To back off.”

“Jason—”

“Cash was there with Knight. And probably Shadow. He said he couldn’t get to her in time.”

“How the fuck did he even know she was a target?”

I scrubbed a hand over my face, trying to avoid the questions that would only make this harder as I drove home. “I can’t think about that right now.”

“Why not? Jason, did you even take care of the body? What the fuck are you?—”

“She has a little girl. My little girl,” I told him. This time, there was nothing strained in my voice. I knew the moment I called her mine that my life was changing forever. She really was mine. It didn’t matter what happened from here on out. I didn’t give a fuck about revenge or Rafe or anything else. I had a girl who was counting on me, and I was all she had.

“Jesus,” he hissed. “She never told you?”

“No.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Well, I made it pretty damn clear that I never wanted to see her again. I thought I was doing the right thing. So…I guess she took that to heart.”

“She must be…”

“Four? Closer to five?” I guessed. “I don’t even know her name. I have a lockbox that I’m hoping has her information in it.”

“Shit,” he cursed again. I could already hear him moving around the house. It was late at night, but he was getting up to get things moving. “What do you have with you?”

“Some clothes, blankets, dolls…not too much else.”

“Alright. I’ll get on it. You have a preference which room she sleeps in?”

“Right the fuck next to me.”

“In the room beside yours?”

“No,” I snapped. “In my fucking room. I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

“Jason…be logical. You can’t let this little girl sleep in your room. She doesn’t know you. You both need your space. If she wants to go to you, that’s one thing, but you…this isn’t about you.”

He was right, and I fucking hated when he was right.

“You’re on OPS property. There’s no fucking way anyone would reach her.”

I nodded, though he couldn’t see me.

“We’ll see you when you get home.”

“Yeah.”

I hung up and looked in the rearview mirror again. She was safe. Now I just had to figure out how to keep her that way and become the father she deserved.